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Portraits of CMU Students

I have done portraits before, but normally by using a window light and make-shift studio or just having the subject be outdoors without any control of the lighting. I have always loved portraits and getting the opportunity to put subjects in a studio with full control of the lighting was amazing.I learned a lot too, I had some struggles with getting the strobe to go off and with figuring out how to set things up for the first time. I feel I took some of my best photos EVER these past two weeks.

My subject for these portraits were Madison McNamara and Jesse Evans. McNamara is a member of the color-guard and I new that when shooting her I wanted the light to be airy, light, glowing. I wanted her to be in uniform and with her flag of choice. When we worked together she made me happy to be a photographer, you know those subjects that when you are shooting you cant stop smiling, this was her. I originally wanted action shots of her twirling the flag, I just had her go to music shot as she moved. Slowly throughout both shoots with her I would pause her and have her either redo one move over and over for a shot or pose in certain positions. She was a joy to work with and someone I would want to use as a subject again.

The softbox was actually vertical and on full power. The hard light on the side might have been a little more angled and was around power 5. The back light was around 2-3 power. The camera was only connected to the softbox light

Macomb sophomore, Madison McNamara has been a member of the Central Michigan Color-guard for the past two years. She has been involved in color-guard for six years total. “Honestly without color-guard I wouldn’t be passionate about music. I wouldn’t be involved in school spirit. It puts confidence in me, without it I would be shy and not so out there.”

For my shoot with Jesse, I knew I wanted a more mood light, I wanted him to pop off the backdrop and to be slightly lit from behind (hopeful for a rim light). The original plan was to have his back like be two different colors, using gels. I actually could not find the gels when working, so I just used white light. His shot was all experimental for me and as a subject he was great by allowing me to find my music with the lighting. After we did a few shots on a black wall, I moved him to the main part of the studio and did a bucket load of photos in different outfits he had, full shots, close ups, etc., but the one that spoke to me with my vision was like in the first 20 photos I took of him. Sometimes that happens.

I was connected to the soft box and has the hard light on cell. Both lights were set at around a 1-3 power. I had Jesse stand slightly in front of the hard light and closer to the soft box for the angle of the lighting I wanted.

Harrison Township senior, Jesse Evans, has been a DJ and EDM music producer for two years. “I was the only one to not do anything musically in my family. I went to Electric Forest and that was when I realized that is (DJ and produce) what I wanted to do the rest of my life. As long as my heart is beating, I am making music.”

What I loved most about this assignment was the fact that I was able to capture two COMPLETELY different images and moods with my images, just by changing the lighting direction I wanted to use. I feel like I made some amazing photos for a future portfolio and just my own personal growth as a photographer.